Air-cooling device



Feb. 8-, 1927. 1,616,545

J. F. PERKINS AIR COOLING DEVICE Filed April e, 1925 *plied to aisinall port-able device onto a Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

PATENT OF JAMES E. PERKINS, OF HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA.

AIR-CO'OLING DEVICE.

' Application filed April 6, 1925. Serial No. 21,060.

My invention is an air-cooler and humidifier intended to cool air by the evaporation of water and humidity the air bythe moisture taken up by a current of air. My invention comprises, as illustrated, a device having a pan for water, an arrange- -meut for raising a thin film or globules of water and a casing to direct a current of air through the device. The cooler and humidifier is operated by the air. current and it is preferable to use a 'porta-bleelectrio fanrfor this purpose. 1 r

The embodiment of myinvention shown herein, comprises a tank and a casing mounted above the tank, open at the front and back, and having a conical shaped wire or fabric netting rotating on a tiltedaxle. The axle and the conical shaped wire mesh fabric is positioned so that as the cone rotates one part dips into the tank and lifts a certain amount of water which clings to the wire and to the interstices of the mesh. The current of air being blown. through the'ca's-' ing and the exposed part of the cone causes the air to absorb some of the moistureand become cooled as well as humidified. The device may be driven in any suitable manner, but a simple way is to mount propeller blades similar to fan blades on the axis or on the cone surrounding the axis and blow a current of air by anelectric fan' against these blades.

lifting the water into the path-of the cur-' rent of air'and this current takes up the In its broad aspects my invention comprises'a method and apparatus for hum1d1fy ing'and-also cooling air if desired, in that the current-of air rotates the device for moisture. While my process and its application is substantiallythe same, whether aplarge installation in the. ventilating plant f a b ildin :the'basicpjrinciple is substan;

tially the same-u My invention may and drier the air is, the more rapidly it will take up moisture and become cooled. Should it be desirable ice-water may bdqhsed as I have provided a place for introducing packed ice or a block of me. I in a ventilating plant for bu1ld1ngs',;it may used with water" of the ordinary temperature, and the hotter When" usedf FICE.

vaporized to give a pleasant odor, disinfeet a room, or in a case of treatment of .convalescents or people with lung diseases,

with air saturated with salt moisture by evaporatmg a brine, in a suflici ent current of airto carry some of the salt in the minute globules of water-held in suspension inthe air. Other uses of-mydevice will be ap parent as well as different ways" of using my method of evaporation of .a liquid in a current of air or other gases.-

My invention will be more readily understood from the following description and drawingsin which:

humidifier with the casing and tank shown in section and the conical screen in side elevation. I 4

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section of Figure 1 on the line 22 in the direction of the arrows, illustrating one side of the cone .dipping into the tank with the blades at the front end.. 1 I v Figure 3 is a slight modification of the Figure '1 is a longitudinal section of my Y construction of Figures 1 and 2 in which the conical mesh is a right-angled cone, that,

is, with. the right angle at its apex, and

with the fan-blades directly attached to the base of the cone. In this construction "the blades, whether in the lower or upper posit1onof their rotation, have-one edge at right angles to the current of air. This is a vertical longitudinal section, on the line 33 of Figure 4. Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section of F igure 3 on the ,line

4-4 in the direction of the arrows, illussides 3, front and rear-ends {l and 5, and

is supported by short legs 6. The front end of the tank is'covered by a lid 7 hinged to the. front wall 4 as shown'at 7 so that it nay be opened to allow ice to be in 'troduced, water to be. poured, into the tank andjthe' 'latter to be cleaned.

The casing 01' housing is indicated generally by fhe' numeral. 8 and is preferably onstructed;to ?form* part of a cylinder 9 ios 'made ofa. piece of ,cur'vedsheet metali' The l suitably. secured thereto.. The

isIjoined to the walls'3' by flanges no ipen at front and back 11' and have an inturned dflange 13 at each end if desired. The flange 13 ma ported by.a bracket 19 or the like secured to the cylinder 9 and the flange 13 as shown.

The shaft has a framing of any desired type over which is stretched a mesh fabric in the shape of a cone, with the apex 20 adjacent the bearing 17 and-the base 21 facing the front open end 11 of the casing. A fan or wind-wheel 22 is suitabl secured to the axle 15- and has blades 23 suitably shaped to rotate the axle 15 andthe screen 16.

The air current is preferably developed by an electric fan 24 of the ordinar type,

which may be mounted on the shelf Although the axle and the fan 22 are inclined to the current of air, they are readily rotated, and continuously dip different sections of the circumference of the cone into the water. This mesh cone lifts some of the water, which is taken up by the current of air,

, thereby humidifying the air as well as cooling it. It is obvious'that an absorbent fabric such as gauze, cotton, linen or the like may be used.

The device shown in Figures3 and 4 operates on the same principle but shows a much shorter casing 8; In this construction the cone is made right angular, that is, its apex 20 forms a right angle so that when the lower segment 25 of the mesh cone 26 is submerged in the tank, the vertical segment 27 is sub-' stantially at right angles to the draft of air from the electric fan 24. In this construc tion the wind-wheel 28 is preferably constructed of a series of triangular blades 29, which are secured at their outer corners 30 to a ring 31, forming thelbase of the cone, their inner corners 32 being secured to the axle or shaft 15, and their apex 33 being secured to a ring 34, of wire or the like. This ring preferably has cross-wires 35 secured to the axle 15, although this is not necessary. The apex of each bladeis on a radial line somewhat offset from the radial line of the base 31, and therefore forms an inclined 'surface against which the wind blows. The feature of this construction is that the inner edges 36 of the blades are substantially at right angles to the current of air whenin the vertical position, when the blades are in the upper art of their rotation, as indicated by the bla e 37 The edges 38 of the blades are in a simila vertical position in reference to the curr "of air, when the blades are in the lower part of their position, as indicated by the blade 39. As many blades as" desired may be used but there are only four shown, the other two .being designated 40 and 41. .It will be noted that duringpart of its rotation, that is, on the right hand side of Figure 4, the blades may not have very. F

much driving function, depending upon the angle at which they are set. However, this is immaterial for if they are set at a large angle they will have a larger driving wedge function in the other positions.

If it is found that the air blown by .the'

extend art Wa" down the sides to deflect the air towards the center.

Various types of fans or air wheel blades may be secured to the cone shaped screen in order to cause its rotation.

The cross wires 35 may be connect'edto an collar43 slidably mounted on the-axle 15' and attached thereto by means of eyelets 44. This arrangement allows the collar 43 to be moved slightly up and downron the inclined,

- be locked .by

shaft, to be turned, and to means of a set screw 45. I v

My 'nvention maybe materially modified as to method of operation and. in detailed construction -to suit different circumstances,

such as the size of the installation to make different t 'es of portable devices.v Having escribed my invention what I claim is Y 1. In a humidifier. of the character de-- scribed, a tank adapted to contain a body of liquid, a rotatably mounted conical screen having an open base and having its axis inclined to the surface of the liquid and hav--'" ing its lowermost surface element substantially parallel to and slightly below the liquid surface, means for forcing an air blast through the non-submerged portion of the screen from the open base thereof and means fixed'relative to the screen utilizing the air blast for rotatin the screen. i

2. In a humi ifier of theicharacter dc scribed, a tank adapted to contain a body of liquid, a rotatably mounted conical screen having its axis inclinedto the surface of the liquid and having an open base and having its lowermost surface element substantially parallel to and sli htly below the liquid surface, means for orc ng an air-blast through the non-submerged portion .of the screen. from the 0 en base thereof, and a fan fixed relative to t e screen near the open end thereof utilizing the air blast for rotating the screen.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signiture.

JAMES'F. PERKINS. 

